Bryce Vs Buymoria
by Wonderlandleighleigh
Summary: After being wounded by the Ring while attempting to take in the Intersect 2.0, CIA Agent Bryce Larkin is temporarily reassigned to Project Bartowski. Hy-jinx ensue. An alt-season 2 ending/season 3 story.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Bryce Vs. Buymoria  
>Rating: PG-13 for some language<br>Disclaimer: They're not mine.  
>Pairings: ChuckSarah, possibly others  
>Spoilers: seasons 1 and 2, alternate season 2 finale ending and alternate season 3<br>Summary: After being wounded by the Ring while attempting to take in the Intersect 2.0, CIA Agent Bryce Larkin is temporarily reassigned to Project Bartowski. Hy-jinx ensue.

When asked what hell is to him, last week Bryce Larkin would have told you that hell is a small, dingy cell in Afghanistan, with the dirty water, the little pot to do his business in, and the guard that beats him twice a day, attempting to extract information from him.

Today, his answer is different.

Today, when asked what hell is to him, he will tell you that his version of hell looks suspiciously like the Nerd Herd desk at the Buy More in Burbank.

Or maybe it's the standard issue pocket protector that doubles as his name tag.

It really is, out of everything he's ever done for his country as a CIA agent, the most demeaning thing. The polyester button-down, the banal gray tie, and that damn pocket protector.

Add into that the people who aren't there as undercover spies; the people who really work there for a living, and should, by all rights, be locked up in a nuthouse, and it just doesn't get any better.

Chuck's been doing this for years.

Years!

Mr. Full Ride to Stanford; Mr. "Get that Beer away from me, I have like a billion tests tomorrow!"; Mr. "Oh Crap I'm so late to Chem Lab! BRYCE! Hurry up or I'm leaving without you, Lazypants!"

It dawns on Bryce as he's stepping behind the counter, though.

Mr. Full Ride to Stanford.

It had been a full ride, and he'd been expelled for cheating. Chuck hadn't had any money to finish his degree elsewhere, and with zero confidence and no way to get his foot in any doors, had languished here.

"How's it goin', Lazypants?"

Bryce turns at the familiar voice; it's warm and friendly, in a way he never expected it to be again.

"Horribly," Bryce replies honestly. "A woman came in with her laptop which she'd spilled breast milk onto. Lester tried to give me a wedgie and Jeff keeps harassing me to go drinking with him after work. Also? Morgan hates my guts-" he stops when Chuck takes a photo of him with his IPhone.

"For posterity, Buddy."

"You suck."

Chuck shrugs, guilty as charged.

"I hate you."

"Oh how the tables have turned," Chuck drawls out. "Look, I know this isn't what you're used to, and I know that it's not...it's not exactly the glamorous side of being a spy, but it's an airtight cover. Chuck Bartowski's old college buddy lost his job and has fallen on hard times. He calls Chuck, who sets him up with a temp job as a Nerd Herder."

"Where he gets attempted wedgies, bromantic come ons and Morgan Grimes' eternal hatred."

"You'll get used to Jeffster. Morgan...Ellie...they're my family, Bryce, and you kinda dicked me," Chuck says. His voice is sympathetic, and it's odd to Bryce that the guy just can't find it in him to bad mad anymore. "So, yeah, you show up out of the blue and they're gonna get a little feisty."

"I'm expecting to find arsenic in my coffee," Bryce deadpans, rubbing his eyes and leaning against the desk.

"Well, that would probably be something Casey would do. Not Morgan."

"Nah, Casey'd wanna kill me with his own two hands," Bryce grins. "He doesn't go for poisons."

Chuck blinks, obviously not expecting that answer. "Okay. Okay, that was a little...okay."

Bryce laughs and shakes his head. "You amaze me."

"What?"

"You've known Casey for like two years. You know him. And yet you still like to believe that underneath all that gun-totting, Russian-hating, militaristic exterior there's a fluffy puppy."

"If that puppy were a pit bull, then...y'know...maybe," Chuck shrugs innocently. "But I guess pit bulls aren't really fluffy. Even when they're...I'm gonna stop talking."

Bryce stares at him and starts laughing.

Chuck squeezes his eyes shut and then drops his head to look at his shoes.

"I really missed you," Bryce says, after his laughter dies down.

"Well, in a few weeks, you'll be sick of me and glad to be back in James Bond mode," Chuck grins.

It's a tired grin, and Bryce sees it.

"We'll see," he says, as he backs away from the Nerd Herd desk to go on his lunch break.


	2. Maybe not as bad as that cell in

Morgan Grimes doesn't share well, especially when it comes to his best friend in the whole world.

Sharing Chuck with Sarah is one thing; she's a hot girl and that's a completely separate and different relationship from the one Morgan has with Chuck. He and Sarah get different parts of Chuck. For instance, Sarah gets the naked parts that Morgan has no interest in, and Morgan gets the nerdy parts that Sarah doesn't understand.

They have a system. It works.

But when a wrench gets thrown into said system, it turns everything upsidedown.

That wrench?

Bryce Larkin.

The guy shows up out of thin air, begging Chuck for a job. The nerve! The guy gets Chuck kicked out of school, and steels his girl, and then has the audacity to show up years later and ask for Chuck's help?

And wasn't he dead at one point?

"I can't believe you got him a job at the Buy More!"

"The guy's in dire straights, he asked for my help," Chuck says simply as they walk back into Echo Park.

"But-"

"Morgan," Chuck says evenly. "Look, the past is the past. Yes, what he did was horrible, but...y'know. If I keep being angry that doesn't hurt anybody but me. So I'm lettin' it go, and this is great for my karma."

"Yeah, until he gets you fired and steels Sarah," Morgan blurts out.

Chuck stops, his hand on the doorknob. Clearly that's struck a nerve and he turns to Morgan.

"You know what, Buddy, I think I'm just gonna call it an early night and get some sleep," Chuck says. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Chuck..."

"It's cool. I'm just tired."

He slips inside, leaving Morgan out in the courtyard by himself.

"Crap."

000000

Bryce has the hotel room next to Sarah's.

He regrets playfully asking if they could share hers still, because she's clearly over him, and done with what they had.

That's fine. What they had developed mostly out of convenience. Sure it was nice while it lasted, but it's not terribly hard for Bryce to let it go.

Okay, it's a little hard, but not impossible. Especially since he knows that Chuck is completely totally ass-backwards in love, and if he's not mistaken, Sarah's not really that far behind. There's a crackle of energy in the air when they're close to each other.

Chuck and Sarah. It seems right, and Bryce isn't interested in screwing up Chuck's life again. Really, he's not. Sure he messed with the guy when he first got back. The whole dancing and kissing Sarah thing on their mission, but things are different now.

The CIA wants Chuck to be a real, honest-to-god spy.

The CIA also wanted to send Chuck to Langley and Prague for training, but Bryce squished that pretty quickly.

_"With all due respect, General, if you take Chuck away from his friends and family he'll just spend the entire time worrying and thinking about them. If he trains here in Burbank with us, he can do it with a clear head, knowing that he can simultaneously watch out for his loved ones. It would be more of a distraction for him to be constantly checking his voicemail or email to see what was going on back here instead of fully focusing on becoming a spy. Add into that the fact that the new Intersect is finicky about emotional state, a low stress, emotionally stable environment is the best bet for leveling Chuck up." _

Chuck had stared at him like he was nuts, but Beckman had agreed, despite her hesitance that they would go to easy on Chuck. Neverthless, Bryce, Casey and Sarah had started to train Chuck to be a real spy.

Hence Bryce's unfortunate cover.

Okay, it really isn't that unfortunate. He's missed Chuck a lot, and getting to spend days hanging around and talking and being weird and nerdy isn't exactly a hard task.

The nice motel room with the hot shower and the squishy bed doesn't hurt either.

He drifts off to sleep wondering if maybe this really isn't as bad as the cell in Afghanistan.

000000

Sarah finds them having a price gun fight the next morning.

Bryce and Chuck are covered in stickers. Chuck is mostly priced at around five dollars, while Bryce apparently costs ten.

They both look ridiculous, but it's nothing new. The first time Sarah saw Bryce in his Nerd Herd uniform she broke into laughter. While Chuck makes the cheap shirt and tie and pocket protector look endearing, Bryce looks ludicrous. Like his head is pasted onto the body wearing those clothes.

Likewise, the price tag sticking to Chuck's nose is adorable. The one on Bryce's forehead just looks strange and out of place.

"Slow day?" she asks.

"It's always a slow day here," Bryce answer, peeling the sticker from his face.

"You just say that because no one's tried to kill you yet," Chuck remarks. He pulls the stickers from his shirt, but leaves the one on his nose.

"Maybe I want someone to try and kill me," Bryce says.

"Ooh, let's go find Casey, I'm sure he won't mind helping you out there."

Sarah feels dizzy, listening as their banter turns from talking about Casey to talking about Twinkies and then snack cakes in general. She's never seen this side of Bryce; Bryce the real boy who had a life before becoming a spy and who likes all the same movies and video games and comic books that Chuck does.

But like the Nerd Herd uniform and the price stickers, it's just strange on Bryce.

"I should probably get back to the Orange Orange," she interrupts, causing them both to look at her. "I'll see you guys later?"

Chuck nods and smiles at her. "Bye, Sarah."

Bryce just nods, and when she turns to walk away she can hear them whispering frantically to each other, though she has no idea what they're saying.

00000

"She wants you."

They say it at the same time.

"Are you crazy?" Bryce hisses. "She wants nothing to do with me. She's got it bad for you, Bartowski."

"What?" Chuck snaps quietly. "No she doesn't. She was gonna leave with you and do the spy mission thingy before I took in the Intersect again."

"She wasn't gonna go," Bryce replies. "I tried to tell you that before I passed out from blood loss! She changed her mind, she turned me down."

"Wh...what?"

"She wants you, Chuck," Bryce says. "Not me. You."

They stare at each other; Chuck's face is a mixture of confusion and fear and hope and disbelief, and Bryce's is calm. He's not mad or sad or anything. This is what it is, and Sarah's turned him down like four different times.

He knows the reason is standing there looking confused and terrified in front of him.

"You love her," Bryce says. "I mean, seriously, everybody knows it. If you're gonna be a spy, a real one, you've gotta learn to let that go sometimes and just be somebody else, but here, now, you love her. So stop being a giant wussball and go get her."

"I am not a wussball!"

"Wussball."

"Lazypants."

"Don't call me Lazypants," Bryce snaps. "I am not lazy."

"And I'm not a wuss."

"Prove it."

Chuck splutters. "You...you prove it!"

Bryce just shakes his head.


	3. Gotcha

Bryce and Morgan have two things in common.

One: They both love Chuck like a brother.

Two: They both have awkward, enormous crushes on his older sister.

Eleanor Fay Bartowski-Woodcomb is a beautiful, smart, kind, talented women, and when she visited Chuck at Stanford, Bryce fell in love a little.

Okay, a lot.

Apparently all the spy training and world travel in the universe can't make that go away, because when she walks into the Buy More Bryce feels nineteen again. His heart is pounding and the lights in the store seem brighter and...

Is that music he hears?

Ellie doesn't look happy to see him, but even with that sour look on her face, she's still a goddess.  
>"Bryce."<p>

He smiles, big and charming. "Hi, Ellie."

"Where's Chuck?" she asks. No amount of his boyish charm is going to work on her. Partially because she's a newlywed, but mostly because Bryce stabbed her baby brother in the back.

"Break room," Bryce replies. "I'll...I can go..." He takes a step back and runs right into Lester.

"Watch it, Larkin," Lester snaps. "Don't damage the merchandise. You break it you bought it."

Bryce stumbles a little. "I don't even know what that means."

As he walks back to the break room, he sees Ellie roll her eyes.

Chuck looks up from the subway sandwich he's sharing with Morgan and grins. "Hey, buddy, what's up? You want some sandwich?"

Morgan gives Chuck an outraged, betrayed look, but says nothing.

"Your sister is here," Bryce says.

"Oh, okay," Chuck replies, getting to his feet and wiping his face. "Thanks." He grins at Bryce and heads out to meet up with Ellie, leaving Bryce alone in the break room with Morgan.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing," Morgan says, still sitting down.

Bryce narrows his eyes and tilts his head. "I wasn't aware I was-"

"You're trying to Single White Female me."

"That would require at least one of us to be female," Bryce replies. "And last time I checked, I had man bits. And you definitely have too much body hair to be a woman."

"Very funny," Morgan snaps. "The point is Chuck is my best friend, and I'm his. Don't think you can replace me, because you can't."

Bryce wishes that he could sit Morgan down and explain things to him. It would make being here and being around the guy so much easier if he knew that Bryce and Sarah and Casey are all government spies, and that they're training Chuck to be one.

He can't though. So he'll deal.

"Look, Chuck's my friend, too," Bryce shrugs.

"Sure, Larkin," Morgan snaps. "You get him thrown out of school, steel his girl and you're his friend. I really believe you."

He's never touched Jill. He doesn't even like Jill. He didn't eve like Chuck with Jill.

"Things have changed," Bryce says. "I just hope one day you and I can be friends."

Morgan isn't buying it. Bryce doesn't blame him.

"If you hurt Chuck again, it is on."

Bryce nods. "Fair enough."

00000

"I still can't believe how nice you are to Bryce," Ellie grouses to her brother, and Chuck shrugs.

"Things have changed," Chuck says. "We're friends again."

"How does Sarah feel about all this?"

"I...we haven't really...it's complicated..."

Ellie gives him a pained look. "Oh, Chuck, please tell me Sarah and Bryce aren't exes..."

"Theyyyyyyy might have had a thing before I met Sarah," Chuck mutters. "But it's over now."

"Chuck!"

Chuck sighs. "I know. I have the worst luck ever, and it should have been predictable that the girl of my dreams has been with the guy everyone seems to wanna get with. But Bryce and I talked and he thinks Sarah wants me, so..."

"So, he's stepping aside."

"That's the impression I got."

Ellie frowns and hugs him. "I'll always be there for you, you know that, right?"

"Of course I do," Chuck replies, hugging her back.

Ellie sighs and pats his back.

00000

It's a late night game of Gotcha at the Buy More.

Chuck feels like a kid again, jumping around and doing rolls, dart gun in hand. He knows he should be taking this more seriously, because this is actually supposed to be part of his CIA training, but it just feels so lighthearted.

The Buy More is a much more open space the the library; not as tight to maneuver in, so it feels a little easier. Easier to hide, but harder to spot someone moving around.

"You're not gonna win this one, Larkin," Chuck calls. "No way am I losing to you again."

"We'll see," Bryce replies.

They dodge each other, and dive behind counters and shelves. Chuck fires off a shot and almost hits Bryce, but it's just shy.

"Nice!" Bryce cries. "Almost got me."

"You're not gettin' away," Chuck says. He prowls the store, almost the overnight lights guiding his way, and he leans around the Nerd Herd desk, to find Bryce.

But he's not holding the dart gun anymore.

Oh, no. That's a real honest-to-god gun.

Chuck's eyes widen and he looks up at Bryce.

"Dude. Really?"

"Sorry, Chuck."

"Come on, can't we talk about this?"

Bryce uncocks the gun and shakes his head. "You wanna live, you gotta take it from me."

Chuck's forgiven Bryce for everything that's happened. That doesn't mean he trusts the guy. There's still a billion things they haven't ever talked about.

"Bryce, this isn't funny."  
>"Who's being funny?" Bryce asks.<p>

Chuck swallows and looks up into Bryce's eyes. Crystal blue, and expectant.

Bryce isn't like Sarah or Casey. Sarah will give him a pass. Casey will expect the least and sometimes the worst from Chuck.

Bryce expects only the best. Bryce expects perfection.

Chuck flashes then, and kicks Bryce's hand. It's accurate and swift and the gun goes flying into the air.

Chuck gets to his feet and does a flip over Bryce, landing and catching the gun. He detaches the cartridge.

"That was good," Bryce says. "Slow."

"What?" Chuck cries. "Slow? How was that slow?"

"You stopped to talk," Bryce says. "I'm your friend. I'll humor the chatting a little. A real bad guy would have just shot you."

"But you are my friend, not a real bad guy," Chuck points out.

"We're training, Chuck," Bryce argues. "I know you think this is really fun, but it needs to be hard work."

"Bryce-"

"If you don't start taking this more serious, Beckman is gonna get fed up and send you to Langley," Bryce says. "Away from Ellie, and Morgan and Casey and Sarah and me, and they'll train you just like they trained me, and the next thing you know-"

He stops. He's gone too far. He knows he's compromised here, and he's been able to ignore it thus far. He's known he was compromised since he woke up on Chuck's couch after being shot.

He knows.

"The next thing I know what?" Chuck asks.

"You'll be heartless," Bryce finishes quietly. "Like me."

And just like that, it dawns on Bryce that he's a little tired of being a spy.

Chuck gives him that look. That look that he gives when he wants to fix all the world's problems, but knows he can only tackle one at a time and he's found today's.

They stand in silence; Chuck awkwardly holding the gun and cartridge, and Bryce standing in front of him empty handed.

"I hate guns," Chuck says. He hands Bryce the two components and then pats his shoulder. "Let's go grab some crappy junk food from the 7-11 and go to the beach."

"We're not done training for the night," Bryce says.

"Yeah, we really are," Chuck replies. He shoves his hands into his pockets and heads for the exit.

Bryce watches him for a moment before walking after him.

"You talk to Sarah yet?"

"Uh...no. Not yet."

"Wussball."

Chuck sighs and nods. "Yeah. Okay. I'm a wussball. I admit it."


	4. That Karate Kid Moment

They sit and watch the waves all night, eating Fritos and dip and drinking Red Bull.

It's sickeningly sweet and Bryce wrinkles his nose. "This stuff is foul."

"But it'll keep ya goin," Chuck replies, lying back in the sand.

They sit in silence for a long moment.

"I never slept with Jill," Bryce says out of nowhere. "It occurs to me that you and everyone else think I stole Jill from you because that's what she said, but-"

"Jill's Fulcrum," Chuck replies. "And I know you and Jill were never together. She told me."

Bryce frowns. "When did you-?"

"We dated again for little," Chuck says casually. "Til I found out she was Fulcrum. Then I arrested her. And then she helped us on a mission and I let her go."

"You what?"

"Yep. Let her go. Sent her on her way. She's on the run somewhere."

"Are you crazy?" Bryce cries. "What the hell? Why do you trust everybody?"

Chuck shrugs. "Cause I'm a sap."

Bryce frowns. "I'm starting to think you're never going to take this seriously. Maybe I should just ship you to Langley."

Chuck just looks at him.

"You don't seem to get it," Bryce says. "Your life is in Dan-"

Chuck shakes his head and gets to his feet. "There is no way I'm gonna sit here and let you give me this lecture."

Bryce scrambles to his feet. "Oh yes you are."

"You know what, Bryce? You did this. All of this. This is all on you, buddy," Chuck says. He's obviously trying to keep his calm, but it's hard. It's hard because there's so much bottled up crap. "You got me booted out of school so I wouldn't be a spy because you think I can't handle it, and then you sent me the Intersect!"

"I had no choice! I was dying!"

"You keep screwing with my life!" Chuck yells, finally letting it loose.

They stare at each other.

Bryce turns and starts walking away.

"If you don't let me make my own choices, how am I ever gonna get anything right?" Chuck asks. "Nobody tells me anything, so of course I screw everything up. Everybody lies and withholds information. Nobody can look me in the eye and just tell me something."

Bryce turns around and stalks over to him. "We're spies! Lying saves our asses! You want touchy-feely share time, you picked the wrong profession!"

"I didn't choose this," Chuck says quietly. "You don't give me any choices."

"No," Bryce snaps. "You chose to take in the 2.0. You could have just as easily destroyed it."

"You know I couldn't."

"Because you're a sap," Bryce replies.

"And you're heartless," Chuck says quietly.

Bryce looks down. He really shouldn't have said that.

Chuck swallows, obviously regretting his words. "So...so I guess that balances out somehow."

Bryce sighs.

"Maybe...maybe we shouldn't play Gotcha if you want me to be a serious business spy student," Chuck says. "Don't train me like your friend. Train me like any other recruit."

"This is really what you want?" Bryce asks, shoving his hands into his pockets. "The spy life. This is what you want?"

Chuck nods.

"And it's not just because you want Sarah."

"No!" Chuck cries. "That's nuts! Bryce, I want more than just days at the Buy More! I want more than going home and seeing Ellie give me that 'poor Chuck, he's so lost' look! I want...I want my life to mean something more!"

Bryce closes his eyes and nods. Of course he does. He's been stuck in a rut for years, of course Chuck wants me, but Bryce thinks he's overshooting.

"Okay. Then we gotta step it up. No more fooling around. No more thinking this is all fun and games and jokes."

"You know, I'm not the only one who's guilty of that," Chuck says defensively. "You screw around just as much at the Buy More. You know what I think, Agent Larkin, I think you really like being here and hanging out with me and pretending to be a real person again and I think it's confusing your tiny brain and you're taking it out on me."

"That's what you think?"

"That's what I think."

"That I have a tiny brain."

Chuck nods. "Itty bitty."

Bryce has him in a headlock in seconds, and Chuck flashes, grabs Bryce and flips him over, sending him into the sand with a loud thud.

Bryce huffs and grins. "Good!"

*****

They stumble back to Bryce's hotel room after the sun comes up, and Sarah's door opens.

"Ooh, busted," Bryce says with a cringe. "Morning, Sarah."

"Where the hell have you two been?" she asks, walking over and dusting sand from Chuck's  
>shirt. It's ripped at the sleeve, and there are buttons missing. "And Chuck, why do you have a black eye? And- Bryce, you're bleeding!"<p>

"We had a come to Jesus talk," Bryce says, dabbing at the blood on his lip. His own Nerd Herd shirt is pretty much ruined as well. "That sort of turned into a Karate Kid, training on the beach as the sun rises moment."

"And by training, he means we beat the holy hell out of each other." Chuck slumps against the wall.

"It's the same thing," Bryce says casually. "I was gonna let Chuck borrow a shirt and then we were gonna go get coffee and do more training."

"Kicking each other's asses," Chuck corrects.

"Still the same thing, buddy."

Sarah narrows her eyes. "Bryce, kicking the crap out of each other isn't a way to train him."

"It gets the Intersect going," Bryce replies. "And he holds his own. Notice how I'm bleeding and he's not."

"He has a black eye!" Sarah cries. She takes Chuck's face in her hands and looks him over.

He lets her, a little breathless at her being so close. "It's fine, Sarah. I'll tell Ellie that Bryce and I finally had it out and we got into a fist fight but we're still friends."

"You need sleep before you do any more training," Sarah says.

"Nope. No sleep," Bryce shakes his head as he gets his door open. "Training. He can sleep tonight."

"But-"

"Sarah you and Casey are Chuck's handlers. His protectors," Bryce tells her. "I respect that. But Beckman made me his trainer. It's not like Chuck's never stayed up all night and all day before. That's all he ever did in college. And he doesn't even have work today. He'll be fine."

Sarah frowns and gazes at Chuck.

He smiles at her, and, bravely, leans forward and kisses her cheek. "I'm good, Sarah. Really. Casey's gonna meet us at Castle and then he's gonna test the Intersect out on boxing. It's gonna be really painful, but it'll build character."

Sarah takes a deep breath and nods. "I'll meet you there," she says. "Maybe later we can work on some Aikido."

"Hey, AIkido!" Chuck grins. "It's a date!"

Sarah grins a little, obviously a little awkward with Bryce standing right there, but Chuck keeps smiling. She pats his shoulder and walks back to her room, closing the door and Chuck watches until Bryce yanks him into his own room by the back of the shirt.

"You're such a wussball."

"I kissed her!"

"On the cheek! I thought Casey said you guys worked with Roan Montgomery, didn't he teach you anything?"

Chuck slumps his shoulders as he watches Bryce root around in his duffel bag. "I'm not that guy, Bryce."

"Wah, wah, wah," Bryce mocks. "'I love Sarah but I'm such a nerd and she's so hot and a spy and I'm-' My god, Chuck, just go for it already."

"It's not that-"

"It is that simple!" Bryce finishes. "I've been here a month and I'm tired of watching the Chuck and Sarah Have Feelings For Each Other and Don't Do Anything About It For No Good Reason show!"

Chuck catches the t-shirt Bryce throws at him. "So what you're saying is, I should hurry up and make a move on Sarah, because watching me not make a move is annoying you?"

"Yep!"

"I hate you!"

"Mmm. Tables turning again."

"I hate you and I wanna nap!" Chuck whines, slumping down onto the bed.

"No," Bryce evenly. "No naps. Change your shirt, get on your feet, we'll grab some coffee on the way to Castle."

Chuck pouts, but changes his shirt.


	5. Toni Braxton is the Devil

Chuck gets the holy hell beat out of him.

He's expecting it. It's not a surprise, but when he hits the mat for the second time, he just can't get back up.

"You give, Bartowski?" Casey asks, standing over him, boxing glove-covered hands still at the ready, expecting him to get back up.

"I surrender," Chuck moans.

Bryce shakes his head. "You've gotta get better at this stuff, Chuck."

"I got no sleep," Chuck says as he sits up slowly. "I'm running on coffee, and mini pies, and Casey just punched me. Casey. Y'know...big guy who likes to kill things?"

Casey grunts and gives a small grin. He sheds his gloves and helps Chuck to his feet. "Not bad today."

"Thanks," Chuck says, stumbling. "So...I guess now I gotta figure out how to convince Ellie that Bryce beat me to a pulp."

"I wish you wouldn't use that as your cover," Bryce grumbles. "She hates me enough."

"Whatsa matter, Larkin?" Casey needles. "Does Ellie hating you hurt your little girl feelings?"

"He has a thing for her," Chuck says, and it earns him a deep, heartfelt glare. "He has ever since they met. I don't know what it is with my best friends and my sister."

Casey chuckles, and Chuck stumbles out of Castle's workout room, intent on breaking the news to Sarah that their Aikido date will have to be postponed until he can function like a person again.

Bryce watches him leave and then turns to Casey.

"Glad to see you're finally taking this seriously," Casey says as he glugs down some water.

"When was I ever not?" Bryce quirks an eyebrow.

Casey gives him a look. "When you were coverin' Bartowski with price tags."

Bryce looks down. He knows he's been unprofessional. This is hard to balance. He'd left Chuck and everyone else in his life behind for a reason; they brought out the human in him.

"Wanna go a round?" Casey asks, picking up the boxing gloves that Chuck had dropped before walking out and tossing them to Bryce.

Bryce catches them easily and shrugs. "Well, if Chuck's gonna use the cover that we got in a fist fight, I might as well make it look like he got a few good hits in."

00000

"Thanks for helping me." Chuck leans on Sarah a little as they make their way into the Courtyard of Echo Park.

"It's not problem," Sarah grins. "They really did a number on you."

"Either that or I really am just a...harmless little kitten," Chuck grins playfully, but it opens up the cut in his lip and he starts to bleed a little again.

Sarah winces. "I don't really agree with the way Bryce is going about all this."

Chuck nods and dabs at his lip a little. "I know. But...but he's right. I've gotta get in gear if I wanna be a real spy."

"I just..." Sarah bites her lip. "Chuck, I just don't want you to lose who you are."

Chuck gazes at her. "like Bryce did?"

Sarah sighs. She was more thinking about herself, but the out he's given her is good enough. "I've never seen this side of him...he's so..."

"Nerdy?" Chuck offers, grinning again, not caring that he's bleeding. "Because he really is. I have three words for you: Settlers of Catan."

Sarah has no idea what that is, but she lets it go. "The point is...You're so great. And all the things that make you great have nothing to do with spy training."

When they get to his door, he turns to her. "I want to be a spy, though, Sarah."

She nods. "I know, Chuck."

She doesn't like the feelings of dread that have been gathering in her belly these past few weeks that Bryce has been in town; the feeling that things are changing too quickly, and she's not keeping up as well as she should be.

"Hey...hey, Sarah?"

She looks at him. "Yes, Chuck?"

He wants to ask her something, she can see it in his eyes, but as they reach his door he just takes a deep breath and shakes his head.

"G'night," he says, grinning. It's a little resigned and a little sad and very, very Chuck.

"Feel better," she tells him. "Get some sleep and call if you need anything. You have tomorrow off, right?"

"Bryce is working my Nerd Herd shift," Chuck replies. He tries to rub his eye, but flinches, as it's very bruised.

"Careful," Sarah says, cringing in sympathy. "Maybe I should help you get inside...get you some ice..."

"No, no, it's okay," Chuck says. "Hopefully Morgan isn't home yet and I can just fall into bed."

She gazes at him for a moment and then nods. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

He nods back, and heads into his apartment.

She stands there for a moment and then heads out to her car. One of them is going to have to make some sort of move, sooner or later.

00000

Bryce knows that Morgan has roped Casey into something the next day at the Buy More, and he's not sure what it is, but from the way Casey is almost kind of creepily grinning it's nothing good.

Or it could just be that Casey has spread the word amongst the staff that Bryce and Chuck got into a drunken fistfight, which is why Bryce looks like someone kicked his ass, and why Chuck is out sick.

Because that totally happened.

Now, Morgan is glaring at him worse than ever and Lester and Jeff are trying to convince him that it's a good idea to join their fight club.

"LARKIN! MY OFFICE!"

Bryce sighs, glances back at Morgan, who is grinning like an idiot, and then heads for Big Mike's office.

The man is, as always, sitting behind his desk. In command; in control, with his cheerfully pink donut box next to him.

He doesn't look happy.

"Word is, you and Bartowski got into a real brawl last night," Big Mike says, leaning back in his chair and looking up at Bryce expectantly.

Bryce stands at attention, looking straight back at the wall instead of at Big Mike. "Yes, Sir."

Big Mike gets to his feet and saunters over. "Bryce. Son." He puts a hand on Bryce's shoulder and Bryce blinks.

This is weird.

This whole thing is weird. All of it. Being here, wearing this stupid uniform, working with Casey, training Chuck, while simultaneously attempting to needle him into making a move on Sarah whom Bryce used to have a relationship (or something) with. It's all weird.

So being lectured by a man who eats a box of donuts a day about life, the universe and everything?

Just the topper on the weird cake.

"A man has got to be humble," Big Mike says. "Bartowski got you this job after you'd lost your old one, and he didn't have to do that. He coulda just left you high and dry, and, from what I've heard, he'da had every right to. Your pride is keeping you from being grateful."

"I am grateful, Sir," Bryce says, and he's really selling it. The big, wide blue eyes, the sincere pout. "But...but we got a little drunk last night and...and we sort of got into it..."

"I've seen Bartowski drunk," Mike says suspiciously. "He sits around like a wet fish and cries."

"Well, last night he threw a few punches."

Big Mike sighs. "I want you to go and see him after work. Try and get this all smoothed out. I don't want bad blood within my staff, and I really don't want you two beating each other to a pulp behind the Nerd Herd desk."

"Yes, Sir."

"Cause if it happens, then you're gonna be the one gettin' fired," Big Mike tells him.

Bryce nods slowly. "Yes, Sir."

"Humility, Bryce."

Bryce nods again, and when he leaves, he's not sure what just happened.

What he does know is that Morgan is heading his way.

"Bryce, Buddy," Morgan says. He's grinning and this really can't be good. "We've got a family in the entertainment center, and they really need someone to show them how the new Karaoke Star works, can you handle that?"

"I'm not a sales associate, I'm a Nerd Herder," Bryce replies.

Morgan just pats his back. "Think of this as a way to step up your game with Big Mike."

So he's off to the entertainment center, and when he gets there and gets the game going, he realizes that one: he's going to have to sing for these people (not a big deal) and two: the only two songs programmed into this disc of Karaoke Star are MC Hammer's Too Legit to Quit and Toni Braxton's Unbreak My Heart.

When he looks back out the window at Morgan, the little furry hobbit is giving the biggest shit eating grin and waving like an idiot.

Casey is smirking.

00000

"I hate your life."

Bryce has climbed through the Morgan Door and flopped down on Chuck's bed.

Chuck swivels his chair around from the computer, looking better than he did the day before, but still confused. Only for a moment, though, because then he just nods understandingly.

"I can see how that might be a possibility."

"Morgan really hates me now."

"Yeah, he called," Chuck shrugs. "He was ready to defend my honor...or something. I don't know, I told him we talked and we're cool, but he's not really buying it."

"I need you to make me a mix CD," Bryce tells him, sitting up. "Morgan made me demonstrate Karaoke Star today, and it only had-"

"Unbreak My Heart and Too Legit to Quit?" Chuck asks guiltily. "I programmed that game as a gag gift for Morgan. I can't believe he would use it for evil like that."

"I demonstrated it seven times to seven different customers today," Bryce deadpans. "Seven. Mix CD, Chuck. Now."

Chuck shakes his head but turns back to the computer, opening up his music program. "These things take time, Buddy. You know that. The perfect playlist has to be carefully assembled, and then there's liner notes and-"

"Just help me get Toni Braxton out of my head."

00000

An Author's note or two:

1. Thanks for all the feedback, guys! So glad people are enjoying this!

2. Yes. I am putting together Bryce's mix. I'm that nerdy.


	6. You Know This Song

A quick Author's note to start with: The liner note for Bryce's mix is done, but sadly, this site won't let me put a link to it here, so drop me a line if you're interested!

00000

Chuck is good on his word and on the way home from a dirty, rat-infested sewer of a

mission, he turns to Bryce and hands him a jewel case.

They're all disgusting. Covered in grime and slime and torn clothes and cuts and bruises but the Somali terrorists have been apprehended, and Sarah is sleeping in the seat on Chuck's other side. Casey is reading Winston Churchill's memoirs in the seat in front of them.

"That was fast for you," Bryce says quietly, looking at the jewel case. Inside it is a printed-out liner note with the playlist. The Buy More Nerd Herd symbol is partially covered up with the words "OR BUST" and below it are the words "Top Secret" and "A Bryce Larkin Sanity Check" and a little graphic of a frying pan holding an egg in the shape of a handgun.

It's cute and a little weird and definitely something Chuck would make.

Bryce hasn't actually owned a CD since he left college. He opens up the jewel case on a shiny CD. In black sharpie, written in Chuck's handwriting are the words "For Lazypants."

He shakes his head and punches Chuck's arm.

"Ow," Chuck hisses. "Ow ow ow, watch it. That's the arm that got slammed in the door on the way out."

"You did good today," Bryce says.

"Thanks," Chuck says quietly, and his attention turns to Sarah, still asleep, despite their antics.

Bryce lets Chuck brood over Sarah and looks down at the playlist.

"I only know like three of these songs."

"Five. You know Norwegian Wood," Chuck corrects, not looking away from Sarah. "And that song Time? That's a Pink Floyd cover. I know you only liked like four bands back in college, but you could use to branch out a little."

"There is nothing wrong with David Bowie, The Beatles, Pink Floyd and the Clash."

"You're forgetting Simon and Garfunkel," Chuck grins, turning back to him. "You used to sing Cecelia in the shower."

Casey snorts from the seat ahead of them and Bryce narrows his eyes at Chuck.

"What about me? When do I get a mix tape?"

Chuck's eyes widen at Sarah's sleepy words and he slowly turns to her. "I...it'd be a CD...and...and I didn't know...I mean I would have...I didn't know you liked..."

She shrugs and stretches. "Bryce has been bellyaching about when he would get his all week. I might as well see what the fuss is about." She gives him a grin and pushes her hair away from her face.

Bryce sighs and gets up to switch seats. He knows this is going to be bad. He knows that Chuck is going to fret and agonize and tear his hair out over making Sarah THE PERFECT MIX, the way he did with Jill, except it'll be so much worse because of everything that's happened.

Bryce flops down into the seat next to Casey, who raises an eyebrow at him.

"I'm just giving them some space," Bryce says.

Casey rolls his eyes. "You're all morons."

"Thanks, Casey. Thanks."

00000

Chuck is swiveling around in the chair at the Nerd Herd desk, staring off into space.

"It's just that is has to be perfect."

Bryce rubs his eyes. "Chuck. You do know that when we're sparring tonight, you can't be thinking about Sarah's mix CD, right?"

"I can multitask," Chuck says quickly. "I can flash and think of the perfect songs. I already have a perfect song. But I feel like it'd be too much. It's too...it doesn't send the right message. Or...it does, but it comes on too strong."

"Oh my god," Bryce grumbles.

"You know what Sarah reminds me of?" Chuck says, looking up as Morgan walks over. "Sarah reminds me of soul. Motown. slow horn riffs."

"Dude," Morgan chides. "Really? If you want to woo the lady with music, it is all about Barry White."

Bryce can't help the laugh that he lets out.

Chuck blinks. "No. Nnnoooo."

00000

When they get down to Castle, it's to find Sarah and Carina Miller waiting for them.

Bryce grins.

Carina smirks. "Larkin. Hi, baby."

"Hi," Bryce replies, stepping over to peck her lips. It's been a while but Carina is still as beautiful as he remembers.

Sarah manages an eye roll, and Chuck looks properly surprised.

"But-."

Bryce turns to Chuck and quirks an eyebrow that clearly says 'slut shame me, and I'll tell Sarah all of your embarrassing college stories.'

Chuck shuts his mouth and shoves his hands into his pockets. "Okay. We clearly have a mission."

"Nice catch there, genius," Carina grins. "Not that I wouldn't love this to be a social call." She pats Bryce on the butt on her way into the briefing room, and Chuck's eyes widen, as he follows Carina.

Bryce looks to Sarah, and Sarah looks back, wholly unimpressed.

"Jealous, Agent Walker?"

Sarah merely smacks him upside the head before following Chuck and Carina.

Bryce flinches and pouts just a little.

00000

The operation is mostly a success. Casey has to wear a ridiculous fake mustache, and Bryce has to go in playing Carina's ridiculous jealous ex, and Chuck gets gassed and tells Sarah he's in love with her just before passing out, but they got what they were looking for.

All in all, it's a good mission, but the aftermath of Chuck's little confession leaves things awkward and uncertain between him and Sarah. He doesn't talk about the mix CD for the rest of the night.

Bryce wakes up the next morning to find Carina dressed and packing up her things. He rolls over in bed and grins.

"Leaving so soon? I could buy you breakfast on my way to work."

Carina grins and crawls onto the bed to kiss him thoroughly. "As tempting as that is, I've got places to be."

"But you'll call," Bryce smiles. It's a joke. It always is. It's okay that he won't hear from her. She won't hear from him either.

She kisses him again and then gets up. "Not until you start sending me naked photos. Then you get called."

"Be careful what you wish for!" he calls back, as the door shuts behind her.

00000

The CIA extraction team comes to the get the Ring briefcase they secured, and they're not allowed to know what's in it.

It makes Bryce leery, but he doesn't argue. Especially since he knows that Casey, Sarah and Chuck feel the same way.

Something isn't quite right.

They talk a little about it, and decide not to make any moves, and then break because they all have to get back to their covers.

"So you figure out more songs for that mix for Sarah?" Bryce asks as they head to the Nerd Herd desk.

Chuck sighs. "Actually...I think I'm gonna put it on the back burner for now. It just doesn't seem like the right time."

Bryce opens his mouth, and Chuck beats him to it.

"I know. I know. Wussball. But...I mean...I feel like such a fool, telling her I love her and then passing out...and she obviously didn't take that very well, so..."

"She was blindsided," Bryce says. "You guys have been dancing around each other for a long time, and for you to just come out and say it..."

"It was stupid, I know," Chuck mutters, scuffing his shoe against the cheap floor of the Buy More. "Maybe this is a sign that I should just..."

"If you say what I think you're going to say, I will drag you into the break room, and beat you with a chair," Bryce says. "Do not let her get away."

"She's not a fish, Bryce," Chuck snaps. "She's a person, and if she doesn't want to be with me, I can accept that."

Chuck walks away, and Bryce doesn't know how he overcomes the urge the beat him with a chair right on the sales floor.


	7. He Knows This Song, too

He's done this song and dance before.

Sarah looks at him through the glass of one of Castle's holding sells, arms crossed.

"Bryce..."

"He's a double agent, Sarah. He's Ring."

"Where's your proof, Bryce?" Sarah asks. She's tired. It's been a long day. When one of your team members beats the hell out of your newest team member with a folding chair, in the middle of what is supposed to be their retail cover, the day feels like it lasts forever.

But Bryce is right, he know he is.

Daniel Shaw isn't working for the CIA. Maybe he was once, but he isn't anymore.

Sarah sighs. "Beckman is ready to come here herself and tear you a new one."

"Let her."

Chuck comes into view then, grinning sheepishly at Sarah.

"Hey, you mind if I have a minute with him?"

Sarah looks at him and sighs again. "Okay. But be careful. I don't know how unhinged he is."

"That's okay," Chuck says. "I can handle unhinged Bryce."

Sarah nods and gives Bryce a last look before walking.

Chuck watches her go, and Bryce thinks he's looking longingly (and it's so not a good time to do so), but when Chuck is sure she's out of sight, he opens up the cell door and steps in, squeezing in to sit next to Bryce; their shoulders and arms press against each other.

The door stays open, and Bryce frowns.

"You're not afraid I'll knock you out and walk outta here?"

"Nope," Chuck replies. "You still feel too guilty for getting me kicked out of college, pretending to steel my girlfriend and then putting a computer in my brain."

Bryce grimaces because Chuck is right.

"Shaw was sent here to evaluate our progress," Chuck says.

"I know that," Bryce snaps. "I know why the CIA sent him here."

Chuck looks at him. "He thinks I'm ready to be a real spy. To...to go out on my own on missions. He think I'm good enough."

Bryce closes his eyes. "Chuck...Buddy..."

"And maybe I am ready," Chuck says. "Maybe...maybe it's time for me to...to be...I could be like you. You're such a great spy, and-"

"Haven't we had this conversation?" Bryce asks, bewildered. "You don't wanna be like me. I have no heart. I have no family. All I have is being a spy, and that's not who you are."

"You've got family, Bryce," Chuck says. "I'm family."

Bryce closes his eyes and leans his head back against the wall. "This doesn't change the fact that Shaw is a Ring operative."

"Why? Because he's taking an interest in Sarah?" Chuck asks quietly.

"Do you know what a red test is, Chuck?" Bryce asks.

Chuck flashes then, and Bryce waits for him to shake his head out and get his bearings back.

"It's..." Chuck swallows. "It's the last test before being allowed to be a real spy, it's...you have to kill a mark."

Bryce nods. "Yeah. Yeah, that's what a red test is. Shaw's wife was Sarah's red test."

Chuck's eyes widen. "W...what?"

"Shaw is a turncoat," Bryce says slowly, making sure Chuck understands him. "Who is working with the Ring and he wants Sarah dead."

Chuck blinks rapidly and he flashes again on the information. When he snaps back to reality, he's panicked.

"You know, you'd think this agency would be a little more discreet about stuff like this!"

"Here's the deal," Bryce says quietly. He takes a deep breath, clearing his head to come up with a plan. "I'm apologizing to Shaw. You convinced me I'm being nuts, and I didn't find anything. You didn't flash on any of Shaw's information. We go, for now, with whatever he's planning, and when the time is right, when we have the proof we need? We take him down."

Chuck nods.

Agent Bartowski and Agent Larkin have a plan.

"I told Morgan, by the way," Chuck says conversationally. "He saw you beat Shaw with a chair. I couldn't lie to him anymore."

Bryce drops his head into his head. "Great."

"He now thinks you're kind of cool. But I think he still hates you. I mean...y'know..."

"Yeah."

00000

They sit in Chuck's room two weeks later, Bryce having "gotten his head out of his ass" and Chuck having kept his mouth shut. Ellie and Devon are on shift at the hospital, Sarah is out with Shaw (which makes Chuck feel sick) and Morgan is doing inventory at the Buy More, so it's just them, playing video games and eating box after box of delicious Red Vines.

"We're gonna throw up Red Vines," Bryce comments as he smashes his fingers down on his controller.

"At least it'll be a pretty color," Chuck replies, leaning forward.

They both stop when General Beckman's face appears on screen. She stares out at them, unimpressed with the unnaturally red candy hanging from their mouths.

"Agent Larkin. Agent Bartowski. You have a new mission," she says.

"Awesome, when do we leave?" Chuck asks, getting up to pull out his mission bag from under his bed.

"Immediately," Beckman replies. "You'll be heading to Korea within the hour."

Bryce lights up like a Christmas tree. "Fresh Kim-chi?"

Beckman rolls her eyes. "You'll pack at Castle and move out-"

Chuck hops back over. "Well, we've gotta meet up with Sarah, right?"

"This is a two-man operation, and Agent Walker will be staying behind."

Chuck's eyes widen? "No!"

The General tilts her head. "Agent Bartowski?"

Chuck gives a whine and sends a desperate look to Bryce.

"General," Bryce says, getting to his feet, "what Chuck is trying to say is-"

"Shaw knows that Sarah killed his wife for her red test!" Chuck blurts out.

Bryce quite literally smacks himself in the face.

"Agent Bartowski, that is classified information!" General Beckman snaps. "How could you possibly-"

"I have a head full of classified information!" Chuck cries. "Casey is out of town, we can't leave Sarah with no back-up!"

"It isn't possible that Shaw has that information," Beckman says. "Agent Larkin, please get your trainee under control, or-"

"General, the Ring gave Shaw that information," Bryce says. "I followed him on a hunch one night after a mission. He's a Ring operative."

She glares at them both. "You have no proof. Without it, you both just look like a couple of jealous schoolboys. Agent Walker is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. You will be on that plane to Korea in an hour. That is an order."

They look at each other as the screen goes back to their video game, and know that this can only mean trouble.


	8. So Korea Went WellNo Really!

Nothing happens while they're in Korea.

Chuck worries but they get no urgent calls from Sarah, and no SOS's from Casey and no orders to come home early from Beckman. And the job goes really well. They feel like James Bond clones, and everything, for once, goes just according to plan.

But something still feels off.

"It's your fault you know," Bryce says as they wait for the plane to land in LA.

Chuck looks sleepy, but frowns, paying attention. "What?"

"Sarah trusting Shaw," Bryce goes on. "If you hadn't pulled away after the whole gassed-up I love you thing, and not been such a-"

"Are you serious? You're gonna pin all this on me?" Chuck snaps. "Tell me something, Bryce? Why didn't you tell Sarah about Shaw?"

It isn't that simple. He doesn't know how to have those conversations. He doesn't know how to sit Sarah down and tell her those things. Chuck's good at breaking bad news; at being a comfort, and showing his emotions. Bryce, not so much, and he never has been.

"I-"

"You are such a control freak," Chuck says tiredly. "You wanna hold all the cards and not let anybody make decisions for themselves. I am so sick of-"

"Agent Bartowski. Agent Larkin."

They look up as the screen comes alive and Beckman appears.

"General," They say in unison.

"Good work in Korea, Agents. We've checked out your claims on Agent Shaw, and they appear to be true."

Chuck's eyes widen. "But...I thought you..."

"General?" Bryce asks.

"After speaking with Agent Shaw, it appears he was going undercover as a Ring operative, and they gave him the information on his wife. I owe the two of you an apology. Shaw should have cleared his plan with me, and with the rest of the team before putting it into action."

"So...Shaw's not a traitor," Chuck says slowly. "He was undercover, and...and the Ring did tell him about Sarah's red test, and...and he's fine?"

"As far as I know, he and Agent Walker have come to an understanding, but I trust the two of you and Colonel Casey to keep an eye out for any problems. This is a delicate situation."

Bryce's jaw tightens. "Yes, General."

Beckman nods and blips off the screen.

Chuck sighs. "I guess that settles that. Except Sarah's gonna kick our butts for not telling her."

00000

Hiding from Sarah is his best plan.

Yep.

Hiding from Sarah. Agent Bryce Larkin, awesome spy, bad-ass, is hiding from his former partner/ex-lover in the Burbank Buy More because he failed to tell her that she killed the wife of the man sent to evaluate their progress as a team.

The only problem with this brilliant plan is that Morgan Grimes won't stop following him.

"It all makes sense now," Morgan chatters on as he follows him around the sales floor. "Why you're such a douche and the way you treat people, and the things you did to Chuck, it all makes sense! And hey, look. I wanted to clear the air a little. I mean don't get me wrong, I still don't really like you, but I respect the things you've had to do for our country, and...and maybe we can get to know each other and become...y'know, friends. Chuck thinks the world of you, and that says a lot, so..."

Bryce says nothing, and Morgan nods and walks off.

You know, maybe he is just a big douche. Maybe he should have just sucked it up and gone to Sarah with what he knew; let her take the lead.

Hindsight is twenty-twenty. He knows Sarah is better at keeping a cool head in weird situations than he is. Only rarely does she haul off and beat someone with a chair.

Though, if Bryce isn't careful, that's gonna be his face imprinted on a metal seat.

He spies the Nerd Herd desk, where Chuck and Sarah are talking.

"You should have come to me," Sarah says. "We're a team. You should have told me what Bryce had found out."

"You're right. You're totally right. I'm a moron. It's just...Bryce sorta took the lead on it, and I just-"

Sarah nods. "I know he's your friend, but Bryce doesn't know everything. He makes mistakes just like everybody else."

Bryce frowns. He does not, in fact, make mistakes.

"I know. I guess I just...it's hard sometimes. I fall back into this old behavior with him...or with Jill, when she came back, where I just...take a backseat, because it's easy."

"Just cause it's easy..."

"That doesn't make it a good idea," Chuck nods. "Like the dark side. But don't kill Bryce, please. I know you want to, but...you're right, he is my friend, and he was in total spy mode. He thought he saw a bad guy and he just went for it."

"Maybe I'll just maim him," Sarah gives a small grin. She swallows. "Chuck...you know that...that there's nothing going on with Shaw and I, right?"

"I...I didn't know that it was...y'know, any of my business," Chuck says awkwardly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Chuck..."

He purses his lips, gazing at her. "Really? You and Shaw, that's...that's not a thing?"

Sarah shakes her head. "I think he wanted it to be, before the red test came out, but...even before that, I just wasn't interested in him."

Chuck nods. "Okay. Y'know, we've been dancing around this for a long time, and things in Korea, other than worrying stupidly over your safety, things in Korea were awesome. We took down the bad guys and ate great food, and...I felt like a real spy for the first time."

She smiles, obviously proud of him.

"So, in the spirit of things going well...Sarah, have dinner with me tonight."

Bryce is torn between feeling totally relieved over Chuck finally making some sort of move, and still feeling like a crazy person over Shaw.

"I Heard Korea went well."

Bryce turns to Casey and nods. "He did good. Really good."

Casey nods toward Chuck and Sarah. "What about that?"

Bryce grins. "She just agreed to go to dinner with him."

Casey grunts.

"You don't really think Shaw is a good guy, do you?" Bryce asks him.

"No," Casey says. "But til we get some hard evidence that doesn't involve you going lone wolf and being an idiot, we can't do anything about it."

Bryce nods slowly. "He'll make a move, Casey. And when he does, we'll be ready."


	9. It Can't Rain All the Time

It starts raining when they leave the restaurant, and Chuck scrambles to get his jacket off and over both of their heads.

It's such a Chuck move.

It's all so Chuck. The tiny Cuban place that mostly serves finger food, sharing around a bunch of little plates, encouraging each other to try one thing or the other. The glasses of sangria that he stabs his fork into to fish out the bits of apple and peach and pear as they talk and talk and talk about everything and nothing. About work and Morgan and Carina and Casey and Ellie and books and "You don't have a favorite band? How is that possible?"

He's standing close, shielding her from getting wet with his thin jacket, his arms raised awkwardly as they walk; It's more of a tender gesture than any bouquet of roses or expensive piece of jewelry.

"Of course it would rain on our third first date," he says sheepishly.

Sarah just smiles. "So what do we do now?"

"Well, this portion of the evening I thought we'd take a walk," Chuck replies. "But mother nature has other ideas, clearly."

"What makes you say that?" she asks. "It's just a little rain."

Rain makes her feel like a kid again. Some of her best memories of time spent with her father are when they would walk around town in the rain. No cons, no lies. Nowhere to be and nobody to hustle. She remembers jumping in puddles and her father's amusement at her antics.

"Who needs an umbrella?" her father would say. "We don't need a stinking umbrella!"

Sarah steps out from under the jacket and hops into a puddle with both feet.

She can hear Chuck fumbling for something behind her, and when she turns, he's taken a photo of her with his phone.

He gives her a sheepish grin and shrugs.

They walk around in the rain after that, no jacket above their heads, a couple of his fingers hooked through hers, wet but warm.

"I had these great red rubber boots as a kid," she tells him. She doesn't know why she tells him, but she does. "With a bow on the side of each one. I loved those things."

"Wellingtons," Chuck nods. "I had yellow ones, with hooks on the sides to help get them on, but I could never do it by myself. Ellie hated those boots. Sometimes when I'm being really annoying she still complains about them.'"

They laugh quietly as they walk, starting to circle back around to the car.

"So..." Chuck says quietly. "So this was good, right? Dinner and the rainy walk. It's not just me, it was good."

She nods and grins. "It's been great."

"I'm sensing a 'but.'" Chuck stops walking and turns to her.

She contemplates this for a moment. He's becoming a good spy; a great spy, and sooner or later he'll have to take his red test, and then...he might not be Chuck anymore. Not this Chuck, at least. This Chuck who talks about yellow rubber boots and is passionate and kind and awkward. She thinks about the person Bryce has become and how he can be so different from the man who was her partner. That seems like a lifetime ago now.

There are a million buts, covered in shadows and questions, and what ifs, and maybe it's selfish and unwise of her to ignore them. Maybe she should be pulling away; maybe she should be running away.

But she doesn't really know if she can anymore. And even if she should or could, she doesn't really want to.

Something has changed in her and it's all his fault. The Sarah Walker of two years ago would never have jumped into a puddle just to jump into a puddle, or admitted to owning red wellingtons.

But then, the Sarah Walker of two years ago would never have agreed to go on this date, either.

She didn't really like the old Sarah from two years ago very much anyways.

"No," she says finally, taking a step closer to him. "No buts. Not tonight."

"Oh," he says quietly. "Okay."

"You know, after what happened in Barstow, and then when Carina was here-"

He doesn't let her finish. "I'm so sorry about that. I'm so embarrassed, and I put you in a really awkward position, and-"

"Chuck."

He shuts his mouth, looking worried.

"I've never done this before," she tells him.

Chuck looks confused at that. "But...you and Bryce-"

"Was easy." She gets it out in a rush, afraid if she doesn't hurry she won't say it at all. "We were partners and it was convenient and I did have feelings for him and it was...good. But the job always came first, and that's not..."

That's not what it's supposed to be like, she doesn't say.

He steps closer to her, searching her eyes. "So...but..."

"You're different," she tells him quietly. "This is different."

This is real, she doesn't say.

Thunder rumbles above them as she leans up and kisses him.

00000

Bryce turns around as the door to the dingy bar opens up and Chuck walks in, soaked to the bone, but grinning like a friggin' idiot.

Bryce actually doesn't know what he's doing here, other than watching Jeff and Lester sing karaoke, sitting beside Morgan and Casey. They may dislike him, but they can all bond over how moronic the two men on stage singing "Living on a Prayer" are. So there's that.

Chuck wanders over and flops down next to Bryce.

"What's with him?" Casey asks, wrinkling his nose, a little weirded out.

"That's good date face," Morgan says.

Bryce nods. "It certainly is good date face."

"Sarah kissed me," Chuck nods. "She kissed me. It was...she kissed me! Not even the other way around. Not even when we thought we were going to die. She kissed me."

"Great," Casey grunts. "He's gonna be saying that for days."

Chuck looks to Bryce, ignoring Casey. "You can't call me Wussball anymore."

"You're right," Bryce replies, ordering Chuck a drink. "But I can call you Sappy Mccheesey breath."

"Sappy Mc- I hate you!"

"And round we go!" Bryce grins.

"Lazypants."

Bryce gives him a sour face. "I'm not lazy!"

"I don't know," Morgan muses. "I've seen you slacking off behind the counter quite a few times, Larkin."

"See? Lazypants."

Bryce pouts, but only a little, and Casey chuckles.

On the stage, Lester does the splits, and Morgan and Chuck cringe, while Bryce's pout turns to a look of slight horror.


	10. That's Miss Lazella Pants

Chuck's birthday rolls around and Bryce orders him the replica of Luke Skywalker's green lightsaber.

He walks into the Buy More with it on the day, and finds Chuck standing at the Nerd Herd counter, a stack of nicely wrapped gifts next to him.

"Hey, you're cleanin' up, Birthday Boy," Bryce chirps, setting the box with his gift in it down.

"They're not for me," Chuck mutters without looking up. "I got them for other people."

"You...got other people presents," Bryce says slowly. "On your birthday. Yours."

"Yeah."

"Why?"

Chuck looks up at him mildly. "I don't actually like my birthday very much if you'll remember correctly."

"I do," Bryce nods. "We spent four years in a row getting you totally wasted on this day for that reason."

Chuck grins. "Yeah, well, after the thrill of being drunk, throwing up, waking up feeling like my mouth is full of your smelly gym socks, and then throwing up again wore off, I...started doin' this. A reverse birthday, if you will."

"You're crazy," Bryce tells him.

"Well," Chuck holds out a small piece of paper. "Happy birthday to me, I got you an Amazon Prime account. Now you can watch Voyager whenever you want."

Bryce looks down at the card and frowns. "Lazella Pants? My username is Lazella Pants?"

"That's Miss Lazella Pants," Chuck grins.

Bryce narrows his eyes. "One of these days, Alice."

"Straight to the moon, I know," Chuck finishes. "And you know that's not actually funny, when you look at it in retrospect, because he's threatening to hit his- and you're walking away. Okay! See ya, Bryce!"

When Bryce comes back to the desk an hour later, the gift he left is still sitting there, unopened. He sighs.

"Dammit, Chuck."

00000

Morgan gets a new t-shirt, one with a random, old school Street Fighter reference on it. Casey's subscription to Guns and Ammo magazine is renewed. Jeff and Lester get Jeffster pins, and Big Mike is presented with a Marlin key chain.

"Happy birthday, Chuck," Sarah says, and kisses his cheek. She's on break from the Orange Orange.

"Hey, thanks," he says, and then hands her a large shoebox.

Sarah frowns. "What's this?"

"It's for you," Chuck grins. "I got it for you."

"But...Chuck, it's your birthday."

"I know," Chuck nods.

"You did this last year too, you know," She comments. "You got everybody else gifts on your birthday."

He shrugs. "It's a thing. Go with it."

She sighs and takes the shoebox, opening it. Her face lights up. "Oh my god."

Chuck smiles.

Inside the box are a pair of bright red wellington boots, complete with little bows on the sides, though not as cutesy as the ones she had when she was younger.

"This is so sweet," Sarah tells him softly. "I don't know what to say. I..."

"You don't really have to say anything," Chuck tells her. "Just...y'know. Enjoy the boots."

She gazes at him for a moment and looks past him toward the Nerd Herd desk. "What's that? It has your name on the wrapping?"

Chuck blinks and turns around, looking at the gift Bryce had left. "Oh...Bryce...yeah, he got me something."

"Well, don't you wanna see what it is?"

"Maybe later."

Bryce bristles as he watches this from the printer section. "We need a birthday-vention."

Morgan nods. "Already one step ahead of you buddy...or, at least, Ellie is."

Bryce turns to the shorter man.

"She's got a whole tiny surprise party lined up," Morgan says. "Sarah, me, Casey, the Captain, and her..."

"I'm not invited?"

"You are," Morgan snaps. "That's why I'm telling you. Because she didn't want to have to invite you because she hates you. I mean, I know you didn't beat up Chuck because you were training him in the ways of the super spy, but she's still getting lied to for her own safety."

Bryce sighs heavily. "I burn, I pine, I perish. What time is the party?"

"Chuck gets off at six, and I made sure you, Casey and I have off at five," Morgan tells him. "And...did you just quote Shakespeare about Chuck's married sister?"

"Tell anyone, and I'll kill you so creatively, I'll never be tried because the judge and jury will be that impressed."

Morgan nods. "Okay! See you at the apartment!" he rushes off.

Bryce watches him go, and then turns back to Chuck. Sarah has gone back to work, and so is he, back at the Nerd Herd desk, ignoring the wrapped gift with his name on it.

00000

"Bryce."

Ellie is trying to be polite. She knows that Bryce and Chuck are friends again, but she can't help disliking him.

He steps inside and nods, looking at Morgan, Ellie and the tall, blond man he hasn't met before. "You must be Devon. Hi."

Devon nods. Clearly he's taking his cues from his wife, as he makes no move to shake hands or greet him. "'Sup, Bro."

Bryce nods back and then turns to Ellie and Morgan. "You know, it's funny. Chuck can't hold his liquor, and we spent four of his birthdays getting completely hammered together in college. But he still wouldn't give about why he hates his birthday so much."

"Well," Ellie says, crossing her arms. "If he didn't want you to know, then I don't think we should tell you."

Bryce rolls his eyes. "Yeah. Whatever."

"Can we just get through tonight without killing each other?" Morgan asks pleadingly. "Just...call a truce, for one night. For Chuck."

Bryce gives her a little boy grin and holds out a hand for a shake. "Truce?"

Ellie huffs, so very put upon and shakes his hand. "Truce."

At this point, spy Bryce would probably pull her a little closer by the hand, start his seduction techniques...but he's real boy Bryce right now, and her husband, who is significantly taller, and more muscular, is standing right behind her.

He just smiles more, as he's put to work helping Devon hang the "Happy Birthday, Chuck!" banner.

00000

"So, are you going to tell me why you hate your birthday so much, or do I start guessing?" Sarah asks as they walks slowly into Echo Park.

Chuck sighs. He's holding her hand gently, his fingers brushing against hers absently and it feels good. The truth is that he hasn't felt this good in a long time. Despite his paranoia about Shaw, and despite the stresses of learning the spy business, he feels like things are coming together. He's doing well with his training, and his fingers are loosely interlocked with a woman he's dreamed about for two and a half years.

That's not terrible.

They reach the fountain and he has a seat, looking up at her. "You know my dad left when I was thirteen."

Sarah nods. "I know."

"Newly thirteen," he tells her. "The night after I turned thirteen."

Her eyes widen a little. "Oh, Chuck..."

"You know what? It's okay," he tells her. "It is. I found a way to cope."

"Buying gifts for other people."

"Recognizing the people in my life that I love," Chuck says. "The people who I know will always be there. The ones that won't leave. I know that's sappy but...but it helps."

She strokes his hair gently and slides her hand down to stroke his cheek. "How are you always so good?"

Chuck grins. "Just lucky, I guess."

Sarah tugs on his hand gently to get him on his feet and kisses him softly before leading him toward the apartment door. "Come on. I bet you're tired from work."

"Are you proposing a nap?" he asks. "Perhaps a snuggly nap? Because those are-"

They step through the door, and he stops talking, looking up at the "Happy Birthday Chuck" banner.

Morgan, Bryce, Devon, Ellie and even Casey are standing under it.

Nobody says surprise, or jumps around. Nobody throws streamers or confetti. There's a small pile of gifts on the couch, a fresh cake on the counter, and ingredients for something Chuck's good at cooking laid out, all ready.

Ellie smiles. "Happy birthday, little brother."

Chuck grins. He looks at Sarah, and then at his friends and family, and nods, before heading to the kitchen.

It's a quiet, low key party. Chuck cooks, and everyone drinks a little. They eat and then he opens his gifts, including the one from Bryce which he packed to take home with him.

"Hey! This is amazing!"

"Took you long enough to open it," Bryce grumbles playfully.

Chuck just sticks his tongue out at him.

The cake is eaten, and everyone hangs around a little while longer, until they realize it's a work night, and most everyone goes home.

"You know I realized something," Bryce says as he helps Chuck clear away the dishes.

"That I was right about my Honeymooners observation?" Chuck asks playfully. "Because that's some screwed up-"

"September eighteenth," Bryce says. "Stephen Bartowski's file says that he went into hiding on the night of September nineteenth, nineteen ninety-three."

Chuck swallows and rushes his pile of dishes to the sink. He immediately turns on the water and starts washing them.

"I'm sorry, Chuck."

"Look, my family is what it is," Chuck says. "I can't change what happened to me when I was a kid. but I can take comfort in the knowledge that I can decide what happens next."

Bryce watches him for a long moment. "That's a good philosophy."

"It keeps my feet on the ground," Chuck grins a little.

Bryce cringes. "Only you would quote a Ben Folds Five song during a serious conversation."

"Who's having a serious conversation? I'm not having a serious conversation, I'm just washing some dishes while my old college buddy looks at me like I am both crazy, and the most irritating man on earth."

"You are," Bryce tells him. "Happy birthday, Chuck. G'night."

"Night, Bryce."


	11. There Are Some Days

"Absolutely not."

Bryce takes a deep breath and tilts his head up. "With all due respect, General-"

"The answer is no, Agent Larkin."

Bryce, for the first time in a long time, starts to lose his cool. "He's not a killer!"

Beckman pauses and loosens up slightly, it makes her seem more human through the screen. "Bryce. I know that Chuck is your friend, and that you want what's best for him, but he has been training to become an agent. Every agent has a red test, and Agent Shaw thinks Chuck is ready for it."

Bryce knows the truth. Bryce knows that you're never really ready for it.

He remembers standing over his own red test after putting two bullets in the man's back. The heavy feel of the gun; the eerie, deafening silence that had surrounded him.

"You sure about this, B?" his handler had asked the day before, calling him "B" because she had thought Bryce was a terrible name. "Once you take a life away you can't exactly give it back."

He repeats those words to Chuck the night before his red test. Sarah has already tried to talk him out of it. Bryce knows they fought a little. Chuck wants to be a spy; he wants to be competent and respected.

He's tired of being the punch line.

The problem is, Chuck's not a killer.

They're laying on the hood of the Nerd Herder, looking up at the stars, having parked high above and outside the city limits.

Bryce glances at Chuck and then back up at the sky. "What do you think things would have been like if I hadn't gotten you kicked out of school?"

Chuck blinks and takes a deep breath. "I used to think I would have started up my own software company...made video games...had a bowling alley in my basement...be retired by now."

"I remember," Bryce says. "What about now?"

"Now? Now...I guess...I think I woulda become a field agent or an analyst...Probably an analyst, actually." Chuck shrugs a little. "Doesn't matter much now."

They sit in silence for a few long moments.

"Don't do it."

"Oh, not you, too!" Chuck cries, sitting up. "Come on, Buddy. I have to do this."

"You don't actually have to do anything," Bryce replies, looking at him. "It's your life."

"Yeah, it is. And I want it to mean something."

"It doesn't already?"

"No! Okay? It doesn't! It doesn't mean anything! I'm the guy who works at the Buy More, who accidentally uploaded a computer to his brain! I get treated like, at best, a joke, and at worst, a little kid. Do you know what the worst five words in the English language are? 'Stay in the car, Chuck.'" Chuck waves an arm and then lets it slump down at this side. "I'm sick of it."

"That's fair," Bryce nods. "But I don't think you really get it."

"Get what?"

Bryce sits up. "How things are gonna change. Not just because you're gonna kill somebody tomorrow, but because after tomorrow, you're gonna be a real honest-to-god CIA agent."

Chuck says nothing. He just looks down at his hands.

"The CIA is gonna send you wherever they need you," Bryce tells him. "Anywhere in the world. They don't care about the Buy More. They don't care about your sister or Devon or Morgan. They don't care. They want a job done, they'll put you on a plane, no questions asked. If they need to disappear you, they will. They wanna send you and Sarah to opposite ends of the earth, that's what they'll do. They don't care if you're in love with her. You become CIA you are property of the United States Government, and let me tell ya, buddy. They keep a short leash. You don't wanna know how long it's been since I've even talked to my parents on the phone."

Chuck struggles with this. "Well...well maybe that's what I want."

Bryce lets him have it, because he knows how hard this is. "Okay. Let's talk about the whole killing somebody tomorrow, then. Let's talk about that."

"Bryce-"

"Let's talk about what it's like to see the life drain out of somebody's eyes. You wanna talk about that?"

"You trained me for this!" Chuck yells. "You came here to train me to do this!"

"Because you're my friend, and it's my job, and I wanted you to be trained right! But that doesn't mean I agree with it!"

Silence falls over them again and they look away from each other. Bryce back up at the sky and Chuck back down at his hands.

"Shaw and Sarah are going to oversee the opp tomorrow," Bryce says quietly. He slides off the hood of the car. "You'll be in good hands. We should get going though. You've got a big day tomorrow."

Chuck hops off and gets into the driver's seat. He glances at Bryce as he climbs in next to him.

"What do you think?" Chuck mutters quietly as he fastens his seat belt. They both know they're being listened in on. They know the car is bugged. They're always being watched and listened to.

"We'll see tomorrow, won't we?" Bryce says under his breath.

Chuck's no killer.

00000

They buy it.

It's terrifying for a long minute when Casey hesitates a little too long. Well, it's not a little too long it just feels that way to Chuck. It's terrifying and terrible and even if he didn't really pull the trigger it feels like he did.

He gets back, and he's congratulated by Shaw and Casey (who is damn stealthy. Wow), and Beckman, who pronounces him a full agent, who should be in her office in DC ASAP.

Pretending to be in a huge, knockdown drag-out fight with Sarah and Bryce isn't easy, though. They're very good at pretending they're not speaking to him, but Chuck turns out to be terrible at it.

Once they're on the plane to DC, though, the three of them (Shaw and Casey are left behind to monitor the Ring), they relax.

Sarah can't help but laugh incredulously as she watches the two of them with their portable video game systems.

"Chuck. I've had to pretend to be angry at you for almost a week, and the first chance we get to talk to each other again, all you do is play video games with Bryce?"

"What?" Chuck asks, slightly panicked. "What? No! It's- but-"

"He'll be with you in a second, Sarah," Bryce says quickly.

"And when that second turns into an hour, I'll kill both of you," she tells them.

"You think she means it?" Chuck asks Bryce, not looking up from his game.

"She usually does," Bryce says.

"Sarah, we just have to get to a save point," Chuck tells her.

This is when Sarah pulls out her secret weapon.

She leans back in her seat, stretching her arms above her head, tilting back a little like a cat, and it does the trick. Chuck can't help but get distracted, eyes wandering from the small screen to Sarah's tall form.

Bryce groans. "Chuck. Buddy."

"Whu...?"

The sad, disappointed sound that comes from both their games indicate that they've lost whatever level or round they were on and Bryce sighs, and smacks his friend upside the head.

Chuck flinches and turns back to him. "Ouch!"

Sarah merely laughs and cuddles up to Chuck. His arm wraps around her and he sets the game aside before closing his eyes.

"Okay?" she asks.

"Yeah. Yeah, of course, I...well...no. No, I'm not..."

Sarah gazes up at him. "You feel guilty."

Chuck nods. "I may as well have pulled that trigger," he says quietly.

Bryce listens even if he's not watching them. He wonders if they did the right thing here; if they shouldn't have stayed out of this and let Chuck do his red test. As a member of the CIA, he's going to have to sooner or later.

Bryce wonders why he keeps meddling in Chuck's life.

When they land in DC, and head to NSA headquarters, it occurs to all three that not one of them has ever been to Beckman's office before, and therefore they have no idea where it is.

"Three CIA agents walk into a bar," Bryce says as they wander down a hallway.

"One ducks, one shoots it and one says 'ouch!'" Chuck finishes.

Sarah rolls her eyes as she opens up, finally, the General's office door.

Bryce stops her. "He should go in alone."

Sarah frowns back at him, but Chuck nods.

"I'll call you guys when the meeting is over."

Sarah takes a deep breath but then kisses his cheek. "Good luck."

He grins at her and then turns to Bryce. "You wanna kiss me too?"

"Go away," Bryce tells him.

00000

They find a coffee shop, and Bryce realizes that this is the first time in a very long time he and Sarah have really been alone together. No Chuck, no Casey or Morgan or anybody.

Bryce Larkin, Sarah Walker, and two cups of coffee.

"I'm starting to have second thoughts about what we did," Bryce admits.

Sarah frowns at him. "Bryce..."

"I keep doing this," he says. "I keep screwing with his life, and screwing things up for him."

"He's not a killer," Sarah tells him quietly. "Somebody else's life would have to be on the line for him to take that step. Ellie's or...or Morgan's. 'Because the CIA says so' is not a good enough reason for him to execute someone."

"It wouldn't have been-"

"The man was on the ground, begging for his life," Sarah reminds him. "You probably know Chuck better than I do. If Casey hadn't been there, he would have failed his Red Test. He didn't even pull the trigger and he's feeling guilty."

She's right. Bryce knows that.

Sarah's phone rings and she puts it on speaker.

"How'd it go, Buddy?" Bryce asks.

"They wanna send me to Rome!"

Sarah's eyes widen, shocked. "W...Italy?"

"Italy! Rome in Italy! In a villa and there's a car and...clothes and...Year Stipends?"

Bryce can't help laughing. "That's awesome. Rome is great."

"Where are you guys? We should talk," Chuck says. "Oh! and, Bryce, the General wants to see you."

He blows out a breath. Of course she does.

00000

After Chuck informs them that he has the week off to get all of his neurosis out of his system, Bryce steps into the General's office.

"Agent Larkin."

"General Beckman."

She gestures for him to have a seat, and he eases into the chair slowly.

"Don't think I don't know what happened," she tells him. "Just because Shaw was fooled into thinking Agent Bartowski killed that mole, that doesn't mean I was."

"So why the act?" Bryce asks.

She sits back in her chair. "Because Chuck is going to make a very good agent anyways. And because Shaw needs to believe that he is at least a little bit of a threat to the Ring."

Bryce stares at her silently for a long moment, stewing.

"Yes, Agent Larkin. You were right about Agent Shaw. He is working for the Ring. We've known for some time, and your finding out nearly blew his cover, and the fact that we know. We placed him in Burbank to keep an eye on him, because we know the Ring has been making attempts to assemble their own Intersect."

"You know," Bryce sighs, rubbing his eyes. "There are some days I hate this job."

Beckman smirks, just a little.


	12. A Little Morse Code For You All

A short chapter to get this old thing goin' again. :)

00000

Bryce grits his teeth. It's become hard not to tell Chuck things.

Years of spy training. Years of it, and the the more time he spends around Chuck, the harder it is for him to lie to the guy. But the General's orders were clear: Drag Shaw's true identity out when the time is right and no sooner.

**'**I am a spy,' he thinks. 'I am the best spy.'

He's also a spy who is on closing duty at the Buy More.

His last shift before this waking acid trip of an assignment ends. The next day his team would be headed for Rome, and he still hasn't decided if he's going with.

**"**What?" Chuck asks as he hooks up his Iphone to the store sound system after the doors have closed. "Of course you're coming! Come on, Bryce, it's gonna be awesome, it'll be like old times, except...y'know. Less midterms." Chuck thinks for a second. "And less Jill." He shakes out his head and sets up a playlist.

**"**What are you doing?" Bryce asks, watching.

**"**Oh hey, that's right! You've never closed up before!" Chuck grins at him. "The staff has a running close-the-store playlist. Every staff member picks one song to go on the- You haven't picked a song! Pick a song."

Bryce laughs a little. "I am terrified of this mix CD."

**"**As well you should be."

**"**What did Casey pick?"

Chuck grins. "Neil Diamond, what else? Now quick quick quick pick a song before the natives get restless. And no fair choosing Cecelia, it's already on here. It's Fernando's jam."

Bryce laughs. "Damn! Okay...how about some David Bowie."

Chuck raises an eyebrow. "Golden Years?"

**"**Golden Years."

The taller spy thumbs up the song, places it into his Buy More mix, and then presses play before leading Bryce back out to the empty sales floor. "Attention Buymoria! Bryce...has chosen a song. And it is thus."

They walk through the store, through coworkers bopping their heads and dancing, and singing and Bryce realizes that closing time is, among other things, one giant karaoke and dance party. He grins a little as he sets about helping Chuck do some of the closing chores. **  
><strong>

**"**You gonna miss it here?"

**"**No," Chuck replies automatically, and then backpedals. "Yeah. I don't know, man, it's hard to say...I mean...these past few months, for the first time in years I've really loved my life. I mean mostly cause...y'know. Spy now. And...and I have Sarah. But...I don't know."

**"**Still over-thinking it?" Bryce asks.

Chuck nods. "I'm really good at it."

**"**Chuck. Rome is beautiful. You've already taken a rather extensive online course in Italian, and you're not only gonna have a full team, but one of said members is your girlfriend."

He frowns. "But what if she meets some buff, tan Italian guy?"

**"**It's nothing she hasn't seen before, and believe me, buff tan Italian guys are a dime a dozen."

Both Bryce and Chuck look up at the new voice and find Sarah leaning on the Nerd Herd desk, an amused grin on her face.

**"**Hi," Chuck stammers out. "Hey. Hi, Sarah."

She leans over and pecks his lips. "Hi. So it looks like I have to go to Paris tonight."

Chuck's eyes widen. "Wh- Paris? But...But Sarah..."

Sarah takes his hand. "We had a little break-in down in Castle while you were up here. Shaw and I handled it, but it turned out to be a Ring Agent looking for some of our files. After a little...persuading on Daniel's part, he gave up the location of the Ring Leader."

**"**Paris," Chuck says glumly, holding her hand tightly. "So...what about Rome?"

**"**I will meet you there," she promises.

He swallows. "I'll go with you! To Paris, I mean! I can help you find the Ring Leader and then- and then we can go to Rome together."

**"**That's very sweet, Chuck, but it's a two-man job and the General wants you rested for your flight tomorrow.." She leans over the desk and kisses him again before pulling away. "I will see you in Rome. I promise. And I'll call from Paris."

Bryce tilts his head, a little confused. Why would Sarah being going with Shaw to Paris if the General knows about Shaw's betrayal?

His answer comes in the form of a knock.

As she pulls away from Chuck, Sarah she taps on the desk, as if it's the most natural thing in the world, and it sets the alarms in Bryce's head off immediately.

They watch Sarah walk away, and she glances back at them, before they look at each other.

Bryce knits his eyebrows together. "Did you-"

Chuck nods. "That was-"

**"**SOS," they say in unison, and as one, they're off like a shot toward the secret entrance into Castle through the Buy More locker rooms, only to be stopped by a merry yellow sticky note attached to Chuck's locker.

He rips it off and reads it. "'Chuck- wait one hour then grab supplies and Casey, love Sarah.'"

**"**An hour?" Bryce snaps. "She wants us to wait an hour? When she's with Shaw?"

**"**Sarah knows what she's doing, Bryce," Chuck says evenly. "We have to- wait. Wait, what about...what about Shaw?"

Bryce gives him a wary look.

**"**Shaw's a bad guy and you didn't tell me? What is wrong with you!"

**"**I didn't tell you because Beckman told me not to!" Bryce cries. "It was orders!"

**"**That's what the Nazis used to say, Bryce! Come on!"

**"**Does it really matter now?" Bryce snaps. "Sarah is on her way to Paris. With Shaw. Who is a Ring agent." He stops and thinks. "Wait. How did Sarah know about Shaw?"

Chuck rolls his eyes. "Bryce. Buddy. She's Sarah. She runs spy circles around both of us, of course she figured it out."

**"**We cannot wait an hour to follow them," Bryce says. "We gather up supplies and screw Casey and go after them."

Chuck looks torn between following Sarah's directions or going after her, knowing she's in danger.

Bryce is in no mood. After having his initial gut reaction about Shaw brushed off and then confirmed, he's tired of waiting around for the other shoe to drop.

**"**You know what? Do whatever you want. I'm going now."

Chuck's eyes widen as he watches Bryce open up the lockers to get into Castle. "Bryce, wait-!"

It's too late. Bryce is already in, heading down the stairs toward the armory.

He doesn't make it. Something hard and cold hits the back of his head and the world goes black.


	13. Au Revoir

After several failed attempts to reach Bryce on his cell phone, Chuck rounds up Casey and Morgan, and when they get to Castle, it's dark.

Casey hits the lights, and there's Bryce, lying unconscious on the conference table.

"Oh. Oh. That's not good," Chuck says, and rushes over, checking him over. "Bryce. Buddy." He starts tapping the other man's face with a hand.

Casey grunts and pushes Chuck out of the way. "You're doin' it wrong." He slaps Bryce full across the face the face, and somehow it works.

"Oooow," Bryce complains, his eyes opening.

Chuck looks at him worried. "Hey. Hey."

"What happened?"

"I'd say Shaw got the drop on ya, double-oh-seven," Morgan says. "Nice going. Now he knows we know."

Bryce glowers and rubs the back of his head delicately. "'We'?"

Chuck fidgets. "Well...Morgan does know everything now...and...and he is coming to Rome..."

"What?"

"Morons!" Casey growls. "Shaw knows we're onto him, and Walker's with him. Stop fighting like a couple of old ninnies and get ready to move out!"

* * *

><p>The plane ride is tense. They fought over whether Morgan should come with, but in the end Bryce had won out, because he was right. Morgan is too inexperienced.<p>

Chuck pours over Shaw's file, flashing on things he's flashed on dozens of times before.

"There's nothing here," he says, his voice a touch desperate. "Where the hell would he take her? Where would they go?"

Casey shakes his head. "Before you got the Intersect you were smart. Use it."

"Casey's right," Bryce nods, pressing a cold pack to the back of his head. "You've always been the brains of the operation, you can do this."

* * *

><p>She knows she's going to die.<p>

In the hazy place her head is in, watching Shaw and the director of the Ring talk, she knows.

She always knew that someday it would happen. She's a spy, and no matter how good she is, how careful, she was always going to die.

One way or another that's what happens to spies. It happens all the time.

The director gets up, and she thinks about Chuck. She'll never see him again. Or her father; her mother. Not Casey. Not Ellie, and she hopes that Chuck can do for her what she promised to do for him.

_"Say something that will make it all okay; that will make them feel alright. Just make sure they know how much I love 'em." _

She wishes she'd told Chuck... There are so many things that she wishes, and sitting paralyzed at this cafe, unable to see straight, looking her soon-to-be killer in the eyes, she has plenty of time to think of them all. Despite her inability to move, she feels a tear slip down her cheek.

She's known that something was off with Shaw ever since the details of her red test came to light. She wasn't on guard enough. She hadn't paid enough attention, and she'd told Chuck and Bryce to wait an hour before coming to get her.

All rookie mistakes. She should have known better.

When she sees Chuck standing above Daniel, gun outstretched, aimed and ready, she wonders briefly if the toxin causes hallucinations.

When Shaw addresses him, she knows it doesn't. She knows he's really there; there to save her. She wants to yell for him. She wants to scream and she really wants Daniel Shaw's head on a platter, but she can't move. She can only watch.

* * *

><p>Bryce cuffs the Ring operatives together at a lamppost and watches as Casey punches the director in the face.<p>

He flinches and looks around. "You think it was a good idea to let Chuck go off after Shaw on his own?"

Two gunshots ring out and Casey stands at attention. "Take three guesses, genius."

Bryce starts running. "That came from the bridge!"

"I'll meet you there once I've got this dirtbag taken care of," Casey calls after him, and Bryce is off like a shot.

When he gets to the bridge, he finds Chuck sitting there with Sarah in his arms.

"Chuck? Chuck, what happened!"

He looks up, his face pained. "He...Shaw he...he drugged...he was...he...he was gonna...I...and I..."

Bryce slows and puts his hands up. "Deep breaths. Take it slow."

Chuck swallows and takes a couple of deep breaths. "Shaw was...he was gonna...he drugged Sarah he was gonna throw her off the bridge I..."

Bryce surveys the scene, looking around for any sign of Shaw, but there's none. there nothing's on the bridge except Chuck, Sarah, and a gun.

"You killed him."

"I...I had no choice he was...there was no other...I..."

Bryce kneels down and puts his hands on Chuck's shoulders. "Welcome to the spy life, buddy. I'm so sorry."

* * *

><p>It's a nice hotel. They can lay low; contact the General about the Ring director, and get Sarah settled to recover.<p>

Chuck, too. He's still shaken; still in shock over what he's done.

Bryce peeks into the bedroom of the hotel suite and quirks an eyebrow, watching Sarah lay back after having gotten changed. "Hey. You didn't need any help."

"Toxin's wearing off," she tells him. She's obviously exhausted. "What did you need?"

"Huh? Oh. Nothing. Y'know. I just wanted to check on you. Make sure you didn't need help untying your shoes or anything."

She doesn't buy it. She never has, and it's not surprising. She's Sarah. "Bryce."

He shrugs and walks in, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "Don't be too hard on Chuck, okay?"

Sarah blinks, confused. "What?"

Bryce grins and takes her hand. "Take care of each other, okay?"

"You're acting weird."

His grin turns to a full-on smile and he pats her hand. "That's something you never knew about me, huh? That underneath all the spy crap...all the smooth-talking whatever-it-was...I'm a little weird."

She blinks again, but this time it's because she's tired. "I knew. I just never said anything."

Bryce laughs and shakes his head before getting to his feet. "I'll see you in the morning."

Sarah's drifting off to sleep now, but the words "no I won't," come out pretty clearly before she's out completely.

With a shake of his head, Bryce slips out of the room.

* * *

><p>They're waiting down in front of the hotel for the cab to arrive, sitting shoulder to shoulder.<p>

Chuck looks beat, but Bryce knows he won't get any sleep. Not with all that's happened.

"You sure you won't change your mind?"

"I'm sure," Bryce says. "You're a real spy. Even before tonight you were a real spy, and my job was to make that happen. Mission accomplished, buddy."

"And you're sure that you don't want a new mission as...y'know...part of the team?" Chuck asks.

Bryce shrugs. "Not right now. I think I need some alone time. Do some solo work. But I'll be around, and if you need me, you know how to reach me. Right?"

Chuck nods. "Yeah. Yeah, I do. I just...I'm gonna miss you."

"Don't worry, Sappy McCheesey Breath," Bryce jokes, nudging him. "You're gonna be fine."

"I hate you."

Bryce laughs. "I know."

"Lazypants."

"I am not lazy!"

"Uh-huh. Can't even be bothered to be part of a team."

"I am a lone wolf," Bryce tells him. "Lone. Uno. One. Me."

"Lazypants," Chuck sings in a high voice and they both laugh.

The cab pulls up and Bryce gets to his feet, Chuck following him. "Take care."

Chuck nods. "You too, buddy. Don't die again, huh? Or else you're gonna have a new nickname."

"Oh?"

"Zombie!Bryce."

"Shut up."

Chuck smiles and then hugs him. "Happy trails."

Bryce smirks. "Happy hot-girlfriend-in-a-romantic-hotel-room."

Chuck's eyes grow wide and his face turns red as he shoves his friend toward the cab. "Go. Leave. Away. Now. Before Sarah's douchebag meter goes off and she comes down here to give you a farewell ass-kicking."

Laughing, Bryce swings open the door and then looks back at Chuck. He thinks about all the things he could say. That he's proud. That he's still sorry for what he did to him in college; that he's glad they're friends again.

Instead, he just waves and hops in, telling the cabbie in French to take him to the airport.


	14. Epilogue: 1 Year Later

Epilogue

_1 Year Later_**...**

**"**I hate you."

**"**Uh-huh."

**"**I mean it this time."

**"**Sure you do."

**"**Bryce!" Chuck cries. "I'm supposed to be getting married tomorrow morning, and instead of getting a good night's sleep, I am chained to you, upside-down hanging over a vat of boiling acid!"

**"**Oh, please. You weren't even gonna sleep tonight," Bryce snaps accusingly. "I know you. You were gonna stay up all night and play Mass Effect with Morgan."

**"**Fine!" Chuck spits out. "Fine! That does not negate our predicament, or that it's all your fault!"

**"**Okay," Bryce says evenly. "It's my fault. I came into town to get your help and come to your wedding, and wound up getting us kidnapped and strung up like a crappy Batman comic!"

"You watch your mouth! There are no crappy Batman comics!"

Bryce nearly growls. "Are you done freaking out so we can get out of this?"

Chuck pauses and then huffs. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm done."  
><strong><br>****"**Good. Let's get outta this so we can get you married."

As they struggle to break free a slip of paper flutters from Chuck's pocket and floats gently down into the acid.

**"**What was that?" Bryce asks.

**"**Oh, nothing," Chuck says through gritted teeth. "Just my vows."

**"**Oh. Uh...sorry, buddy."

**"**I really hate you."

END

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to read and review! Hope you enjoyed!


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